LR6 Serial Number Validation is not connecting to the internet

[Thorigol]

I am trying to get LR6 validated on an older mac running MacOS Mojave.  I installed from a CD and used the serial number on the package.  Upon launching it wants me to validate my Adobe ID on a browser which works fine, returning to the Adobe Application Manager it wants to validate but on selecting Validate it reports "please connect to the internet to validate your serial number."

I have researched this on this forum and can confirm all the advice in https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html has been followed:

I can connect to the application servers (I get a pong)

I have reset my hosts file (it didn't have any adobe entries anyway)

I've verified that I can connect to secure sites

I've verified that my GlobalSign Root CA certificat is active and valid

...all to no avail.  Any further help would be appreciated.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thorigol, were other Adobe applications installed on this computer previously or is this a fresh installation of Mac OS 10.14? Please see https://adobe.ly/41ntuxL for updated information on using older Adobe applications in 2025. ^JW

[Thorigol]

This is an inherited old computer and has been running Mojave for some time but never had Adobe products installed.   

Thank you for the link, but as I noted in my post I was able to validate my Adobe ID in the browser on the subject computer and then see the Adobe Application Manager move to the next step asking me to accept the license agreement, which I do, and then goes to the screen for Serial Number Validation and says "please connect to the internet to validate your serial number."  It will not go past this point even though I've verified that I can ping the server, have reset hosts, have the cert and can connect  (thus have done everything advised in that link).

[John T Smith]

TLS 1.2 is now required to connect https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/eol-tls-support.html

-test your browser https://clienttest.ssllabs.com:8443/ssltest/viewMyClient.html

[Thorigol]

Thank you for the links, my Firefox is up to date and in the ssllabs test reports TLS 1.3

...other thoughts?

[kglad · Accepted solution]

did you try offline activation?

[Thorigol]

Great idea kglad, thank you.  I had to search for how to do that and was able to get to the Offline Activation panel and generate a request code.  Unfortuantely, after going to Adobe's Offline Activation page and entering the info, it tells me that both the request code and my serial number are invalid!  I've triple checked both, verified the SN is the same as on the package and in my Adobe account to no avail.

 

[kglad]

you either made an error when entering the number OR you have the wrong installer.  details:

assuming you're using a valid adobe serial number (6 groups of 4 numbers), you have a mismatch between your installation file and serial number. ie, you can have a valid serial number, but if it's for program A and your installation file is for program B, you will see an invalid serial number message.

common mismatches are language/region (eg, serial number is for western europe and installation file is eastern europe), platform (eg, serial number is for a mac and installation file is win), license type (eg, education vs enterprise vs individual). and one of the most common is using a program installation file with a suite's serial number. eg, using a cs6 suite serial number with a photoshop cs6 installation file. that won't work even though photoshop is included in that suite.

you must use the (correct) suite's installation file (and you can choose to only install one program from the suite). here's official info about that error, http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/error-serial-number-valid-product.html

[Thorigol]

Thanks again kglad.  However, this isn't a creative suite product.  It is standalone LR6 installed from a physical DVD using the SN from the physical package.  It has worked in the past. This SN also shows up under Adobe Account > Registered Products.

It is possible that I have it on too many machines but Adobe no longer appears to provide a way to deactivate the application for such an old product (unless you know of a way?).

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thorigiol, the request to validate the serial number is not related to activations. If you have inherited this computer, then previous Adobe software installations could affect the recognition of the serial number. Please download and run the CC Cleaner Tool from https://adobe.ly/4kbp1Wf and use it to remove all Adobe software and information from the computer. This will leave you in a better state to successfully install and utilize Lightroom 6, Thorigiol. ^JW

[Thorigol]

Thank you for the additional advice Jeffrey.  This was my mom's computer and never had anything installed on it except MSOffice.  Also what you are recommending appears to be a CC tool but LR6 was pre creative cloud, so would the tool even apply? 

Just want to be sure I'm not chasing a solution that won't help as it means I have to start all over again.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thorigol, you could manually look for and remove the necessary licensing files to confirm if any Adobe software had ever been installed or download and run the CC Cleaner Tool to remove the current installations and any damaged licensing files that could be preventing you from using Lightroom 6. Over the years, we have improved the CC Cleaner Tool to help prevent the need to look for and delete licensing or application files.

It is your choice; you will still face problems connecting to our servers on a computer running an out-of-date operating system. Please see my previous posts for information on the QR code process you will need to utilize to complete the sign-in process once the serial number error has been resolved. ^JW

[Thorigol]

Well thanks again, but it appears this 2012 Core i7 Mac running Mojave will not run your cleaner tool (gets the white circle with the slash). 

To be clear at the risk of rerepeating myself, the serial number is accepted by the program and I am able to complete the sign-in process - I just can't validate it (the step after sign-in) as it asks me to connect to the internet even though I am (and done all the connection steps outlined).

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thanks for the update, Thorigol. The CC Cleaner Tool is a universal application, so it should run just fine on the computer. You can find the location of the licensing and activation files listed at https://adobe.ly/4gV8EdJ if you want to manually remove them.

You may want to consider formatting the computer and reinstalling the latest operating system that it will support; this will help position you for the best success with using Lightroom 6 on a 2012 Mac in 2025.

The CC Cleaner Tool doesn't ordinarily crash on people's computers, so if you encounter any other problems, Thorigol, then I would recommend you proceed with formatting the computer and reinstalling the operating system. ^JW

[Thorigol]

Thanks again for your efforts Jeffrey, but CC cleaner did not crash.  It is marked as non-executable with the general prohibition symbol - I don't think it is compatible with Mojave.

I have finally solved this issue by repeatedly trying Offline Activation which eventually worked for me.

[Mike_Mary]

Thorigol, I seem to have nearly the exact same issue as you. I cannot get Lightroom 6 SN validated. You solved this by trying Offline Validation. How did you get a Request Code? Can you tell me what you did next or have the link that showed you how to do this process?

[kglad · Accepted solution]

@Mike_Mary 

for offline activation:  

disconnect the computer from the internet

Launch the product.

At the Serial Number Validation screen, click Having Trouble Connecting To The Internet.

Click Offline Activation and click Generate a Response Code.

Write down the Request Code.

Switch to an online computer and navigate to www.adobe.com/go/getactivated.

Click Offline Activation.

Sign in with your Adobe ID.

Enter your Request code and click Generate.

Write down the Response code.

Switch back to the offline computer.

Enter the Response Code and click Activate.

[Thorigol]

I did exactly as kglad recommended.  It turned out that the problem I was having was manually copying the response code from the online computer - l's and I's and 0's and O's confused me!

[kglad]

@Thorigol 

congratulations, and good to hear!